You'll need a scale, caliper, according to the powder you want to use, pick up a reloading manual from that company. ie, I use winchester powder so I have one of their books. Bullet boxes from Dillon. They have the best prices. Primer tray to flip those bad boys over. Mine is green. Can't remember where I got it. Tumbler. I got a Mid-Way because it was cheap and was Dillon Blue. I use a child's sandbox sifter over the tumbler to get the media out. It screws right down on top. You'll see what I mean when you get one and take a trip to walmart in the children's dept for the sifter. As a matter of fact my Dillon is 16yr old and they just sent me a complete update primer system for free. I called last week to ask how to adjust something and he realized mine was too old. No BS about their "No BS Warranty." Big question is what do you plan to reload? For rifle ammo you had best get a case trimmer. Takes allot of powder for rifle. Hope I've been of some help.

Are the manuals specific to the reloader? I'm going with a Dillon. If it doesn't matter which manual you get then I'll order the Lymon one along with the press, brass, primer, powder and bulletts. Anything else I should get in that first order? Am I going to need a case cleaning machine right away?

Are the manuals specific to the reloader? I'm going with a Dillon. If it doesn't matter which manual you get then I'll order the Lymon one along with the press, brass, primer, powder and bulletts. Anything else I should get in that first order? Am I going to need a case cleaning machine right away?

I've got the Speer 13 manual which does just fine. Lee dies also come with reloading data plus most of the powder manufacturers have data on their websites.
You don't have to have the tumbler right away but you'll appreciate it. BTW, get your walnut-shell tumbling media at pet stores. It's cheaper.
If you can, purchase your components locally. My local dealers have better prices than most internet retailers and I save the hazmat and shipping fees on powder and primers.
Others might disagree but I didn't have very good luck with a digital scale. The manual, "poise"-type scale is fine.
One last thing. I've never paid for brass. I can't believe it when I read that people have to order brass online. There has to be someplace around you that would probably be more than happy to let you have all the brass you need.
Hopefully, you'll enjoy handloading. I find that it's more enjoyable to take my own "experimental" ammo to the range than a boring box of Walmart White Box.

I'll go ahead and get the tumbler. I figured it would come in handy. As fas as brass goes I think I have plenty of spent 9mm but it's a little harder to find 5.56 around here. Even in the army we had to pick up the brass becasue the military reloads it. And most civilians don't have the money to go out and blaze away with it. I'll look around for the powder and primer and bulletts locally. Hopefully they'll be easy enough to find. Good tip about the walnut media. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement.

You need a manual which covers the type, brand, weight etc. of the caliber and weight, and type of the projectile you will be sending down range.

For instance, if you're planning on reloading .45 ACP handgun ammo, and you plan on only shooting 230 grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) rounds then you need to make sure that your reloading manual has a listing for .45 ACP 230 grain (projectile weight) Full Metal Jacket rounds.

I actually preferred Hornaday's reloading manuals, buy Lyman's, as has been mentioned before in this thread is also an excellent choice.

Good luck.

** EDIT ** It actually doesn't hurt to have a couple different manuals so that you can compare them. Reloaders tend to be careful, and methodical people (out of self preservation) and those who write reloading manuals are just as careful and methodical, but there always exists the posibility of an undiscovered typographical error which could have dangerous results. Simply checking two different manuals from different publishers/manufacturers is a simple safety precaution. Some have ridiculed me for being too careful in the past, but I have all my fingers, eyes, and other body parts that I was born with.

your gonna roll several its like a baby learing to walk the rolled ones are you falling down. I rolled several when I first started. Take your time trying to reload, fast gets you hurt, blown up, mangled, or a destroyed weapon. a good set of calipers and micrometer are esential especially setting up your dies When I bought my lyman press the weight diff on the handle from it to my lee was astounding. Take you time and you should be fine. As for loading manuals horandy has a good online one, especially if using their bullets. I get my casings from the local police training center they let me pick them up off the range, that gets my 5.56, 9mm, .40 and a few others if the snipers have been out there. Another piece of advice get a piece of guitar wire to clean the port between the primer and powder compartment especially after media cleaning